The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-08-10
i>rAKAwAI Alaska.
sights ct Interest aud instruction w
u. seen customs at the Indians

I glaLce at the capita Of Alaska shows
| hat it ha- been the seat OF an
other government than our own The
official buildings constructed D.! thc
| Russian. are ell Tar more impo -lh Z
than al! thing our western towns OF
| tie north can boast. ! he caste II
finely situated and with the custom
/ house, barracks aud creek church,
form an exceedingly picturesque
group very strikii r. and pleasing
after the towns OF clapboards. 'huped
ike teut-, one passc. on the way.
|Elhe Greek church, with its green
meta.ic dome aid minart Ike spire,
was NJ once the object OF general in
terc-t and curiosity among the pas {.
scugor- al the Pacific Company : good
steamship Olympiap. and they made
haste to get II Operod that we might
inspect II, novelties. Tho pictures
were surprisingly good, and there
were several icons decorated with
gold and silver Jewels OF Russian
saints aud Our Lady OF All unpro-
ncuuceabIo name. The curiosity
seeker, thronged the stores in hopes
OF securing totem poles, baskets,
bracelets and other articles OF
Indian make. As 1t
was sunday many were attracted to
the Pres byterian mission, which is
large aud tlourishing establishment
wi h school # $50 children. They
heard them sing hymns and read the
scriptures in the English language
and translate in the Chinook tongue
tor thu benefit other parents. There
is also IA modest Catholic chapel. The
priest is llollauder u graduate Of
LOuyain, evidently u scholar and a
gentleman, but he SAWS the Greek
church has won the hearts of the ln-
dams there aud he has not much TO
dc.
The ChinOoks are indeed wonder
full looking tribe of Indians to those
who know the red man on the plains.
They all wear good coats and pant
looms and strong boots They earn
plenty of money 10 buy store clothes,
aud the women are gay i'll red and
yellow handkerchief ~ head gear,
while tdeir sacques are made OF
bright colored cloth and ornnmen'ed
with dozens of pearl buttons, sewed
on III patterns. One was dee GRATED
with the outline of a bear which was
probably the crest OF her family.
The woman here is of much impor.
lance III hereditary. As u man belongs
to the family OF his mother, be 1t
beaver, fish or otter, ahd they are
very careful about their totems
Tho next ch'ct j. always the eldest son
of the present man, oldest sister.
When an Indian dies who has not
been II member of tho church, his
r. mains are crcmated. Il he is no
longer pagan they are buried like
Christian. We law a; funcrs in "A
Greek ccmetary All the Indians
gathered at the mans house, bringing
food. They then marched IN
procession to the grave with the
priest in grand Vestmeut ut their
head. In the rave they deposited
the dead mau blankets and many
other of his effects; enough to
cause them 20 be robbed the
night following by the whites
The harbor aud situation of Sitka
are charming, The first is almost
lSndlockcd 10y more than twenty
small islands. The last is nigh,
rolling plain, cncircled with foothills
that disclose through their openings
four groups OF snow capped Alps,
with every form OF Jagged and sharp
toothed outline, beautiful beyond de-
scription, The wooden houses of the
Indians are but one large room. with
the fire burning III the middle, and
Il ir.ptIN : fA hn
smoke to 90 through. There are
glass window and high gallery
around the four sides of the room,
upon which are the beds, and where
the women ait when they are not
cooking Above the fire is an open
wood frame work, upon which is
hung the fish to dry aud smoke for
the winters supply.
The Indians are fat, always having
plenty 10 eat, they look strong and
healthy, but there is great deal OF
sickness among them, and many die
OF consumption and other diseases of
civilization. There Is great need of n
hospital at Sitka, and the white people
there are all hoping that the govern
ment will do something in that
direction. spain did many handsome
things for her colonies, but England
was economical in that way, and we
follow her example.
The gold miles are taking n popu>
lation to Alaska, before whom the
Indians will rapidly disappear. An
cmploye of the Hudson Bay company,
who has been for years IN the north
country, told mo he disapproved OF
the education of girls at the mission.
They take them entirely away from
their parents, bring them up as in n
boarding school, uniting them to be
the wives Of Indians and ending In
their ruin,
Alaska is in the latitude OF England
and has much the same climate, from
similar cause; the Japanese ocean
current washes the shores of the form.
err, as the gulf stream does those ofthe
latter, bringing with it warm air and
humidity that causes our western
coasts to be covered with forests of
gigantic growth. We stopped at
Wranger, Imam and Chilkat, the
othor III HING and mir. mo- towns hut il